CHAPTER VIII.
PRACTICING ONCE MORE.
Sunday morning found the entire party up bright and early. Nothing had come to disturb them during the night, for which all were thankful. A few of the fish had not been eaten the evening before, and these were prepared for breakfast.
"We must go down to the shore and watch for a boat," said Paul, while they were finishing their repast. "Don't forget that I must let my uncle know how the sloop was stolen."
"To be sure, and the quicker we get on the track of the thief the better," returned Joe.
Not long after this they walked down to the cove and from that point journeyed along the shore for the best part of a mile.
"Hi! I see a boat!" cried Link. "A sailboat, and she is headed this way!"
"Can it be theSprite?" questioned Fred.
"No, the craft is a yacht. I guess it is Mr. Felding'sGem."
"Perhaps he is looking for us," said Paul. "My uncle may have asked him to come up."
They watched the course of the little yacht with interest, and as it came closer set up a loud shout and waved their handkerchiefs. At last they were discovered and somebody on the yacht waved a handkerchief in return.
"We are seen!" cried Fred. "I am thankful for it."
Soon the yacht came up to the shore, and then they saw that it had on board Mr. Felding, the owner; Mr. Shale, Paul's uncle, and Mr. Westmore and Mr. Rush.
"Are you all safe, boys?" was the first question put to them.
"All safe!" they shouted back.
"Thank heaven for that!" murmured Mr. Westmore, and a great load was lifted from his heart.
"I suppose you didn't want to come back in that storm," said Paul's uncle.
"It wasn't that, Uncle Dick," answered the youth. "Somebody has stolen the sloop."
"Stolen the sloop!" ejaculated all of the gentlemen on the yacht.
"Yes. We tied her up and went to the hill, and somebody took her as soon as we had our backs turned."
Paul told his story and the others corroborated him. The gentlemen were very much interested.
"And you think it was Dan Marcy did this?" questioned Mr. Shale.
"Yes—but we are not certain," answered Joe.
"It would be just like Marcy," put in Mr. Westmore. "Remember what he has done in the past."
"Which way did he go?" asked Mr. Felding.
The boys pointed out the direction, and all decided to follow in the course of theSprite.
"We can't spend too much time in the search," observed Mr. Westmore. "Remember, the folks at home are very anxious concerning all of the boys."
TheGemwas a trim little craft, built for speed, as well as good looks, and with all sails set cut the water in a fashion to tickle any nautical heart. More than this, Mr. Felding was a crack yachtsman and knew exactly how to get the best speed out of his craft.
"She certainly is a gem!" was Harry's remark. "What a cruise a fellow could take in such a boat as this."
"Yes, especially if the lake was larger," answered Frank.
A run of an hour brought them pretty well down the eastern shore of the lake. They passed several small sailing vessels, and also some rowboats, but caught sight of nothing that looked like theSprite. They also questioned some of the people they met but could gain no information concerning the missing sloop.
"They have got into some out-of-the-way place with her," said Mr. Shale. "It's an easy thing to do—with so many coves and creeks handy, and so much woodland and bushes."
At last the search was given up for the time being and the yacht was headed for Lakeport. As soon as they came in sight of the town they saw a crowd collecting at the main wharf to meet them.
"Are they all safe?" was the first question, and when it was answered in the affirmative a cheer went up.
"We thought you might be drowned," said Mrs. Westmore, as she greeted her sons.
"I have passed a sleepless night," came from Mrs. Rush. "Fred, you must not stay away again like that."
"It couldn't be helped, mother," was the answer.
The news soon circulated that theSpritehad been stolen, and Mr. Shale offered a reward of ten dollars to anybody who would locate the craft.
"I won't offer any more than that just now," said he to Mr. Westmore. "As they can't take the boat off the lake we are bound to find her sooner or later."
Ten dollars was quite a sum to some men and boys living in the vicinity of Pine Lake, and many went out Sunday afternoon and all day Monday, looking for theSprite. But, strange as it may appear, not a trace of the sloop was discovered. Then Mr. Shale increased his reward to fifty dollars.
"Maybe they sunk her," suggested Joe. "They could do that, and then raise her after the search is over, and give her a different coat of paint and a new name."
"Well, I guess anybody who would steal her would be mean enough to do almost anything with her," answered Harry.
The members of the baseball club were very anxious to get the best uniforms possible for their money, and so the secretary of the club was ordered to send to half a dozen firms for samples and prices. The latter were speedily forthcoming, and one firm, more energetic than the rest, sent along four sample suits, so that they might be inspected.
"That firm certainly has faith in its goods," said Joe. "If they didn't they wouldn't send us four complete suits."
"And their prices are a little lower than the other firms," added Fred. "I guess we'll have to get our outfit from them." And the majority of the boys thought the same.
Some were anxious to don the new uniforms and they were loaned out to Harry, Paul, Link and Matt. All were cautioned to keep the suits clean and in good order and promised to do so.
"Now I feel like a real baseball player," declared Harry, after he had the suit on.
"It certainly fits you to perfection," was his brother's comment. "It couldn't be better if it had been made to order."
"I wish we all had suits, Joe. Si Voup's club has them."
"Well, we'll have them before long. By the way, I suppose we'll get a challenge from the Voup crowd sooner or later."
As soon as the excitement occasioned by the disappearance of theSpritedied down the boys turned to their baseball practice once more. As before, they went at it each day after school and soon there was a marked improvement in every player. Each was almost settled in the position he was to occupy, although several changes were still to take place.
Ever since the hat episode Mr. Montgomery Jadell had been extra severe with the boys, often keeping them in after school when he knew they wanted to practice. The boys, however, said nothing, for the term was drawing to a close and they knew that in two weeks more their troubles in that direction would be over.
"I wish we could give him a rousing send-off," said Harry. "He deserves it." He had heard that in the fall they were to have a new school principal.
"Just wait till the term ends," put in Fred, who was present. "I guess we can do something to make him remember Lakeport."
The next afternoon was a particularly fine one, and when they went out to practice Harry, Paul, Link and Matt wore the suits. Some cheered but others poked fun at them.
"Cutting a dash, ain't you?" said one. "Oh, my, ain't we ball players, though!"
"You're only sorry that you haven't a suit," retorted Link.
"I suppose we've got to get used to it," said Paul. "All the same, I wish the whole club had uniforms."
The play that afternoon was of the bright, snappy kind. There was some good pitching and field work, and half a dozen creditable hits were made.
"You are doing finely," said a gentleman named Monroe Corsen, who was a graduate of one of our large colleges. "Keep it up and you will certainly win some games this summer."
"We are going to do our best," answered Joe.
Harry had been told to go to the store before returning home for supper and so, with one or two others, left the ball field before the rest. He carried with him one of the bats which none of the players cared particularly to use, as it was unusually heavy.
"We'll have to trade this for a lighter bat," he said, to one of his companions.
"Yes, if we get the chance. Hardly anybody wants to use such a heavy bat. It was a mistake to get it in the first place," was the answer.
Harry hurried down one street and then around the corner into another, which was lined with a number of small shops. Just as he turned the corner he noticed a commotion a block away and heard a sudden cry.
"Look out for the bull! Jerry Flagg's bull has broken loose!"
"Hullo, a wild bull!" he cried. "He'll make trouble in this street, if he once gets a-going!"
He looked along the street, but could not at first locate the beast. But then came a roaring bellow, and the bull emerged from an alleyway not a hundred feet away. He had a long rope tied around his neck.
"Oh, help! Please take the bull away!" shrieked a voice not far from where Harry was standing, and looking around he espied a little girl of six crouched close to a shop window.
The little girl was dressed in a bright suit of red and this at once attracted the bull's attention. With a snort he leaped into the street and then charged straight for the little girl, with lowered horns and with eyes glaring wickedly, as if to gore her to death on the spot.